This invention relates generally to platforms, commonly referred to as tree stands, for supporting an observer at an elevated location in the wild on a tree or the like, and more particularly to an improved observer supporting platform which is readily portable, easily assembled and structurally sturdy after erection.
In hunting or observing wildlife in their natural habitat, it is a well known practice for sportsmen or naturalists to utilize a support platform attached to a tree or the like. The sportsman or naturalist perched on the platform is positioned at an elevation where he can readily observe wildlife while himself being substantially unobserved. In part, the ability to remain unobserved by wildlife is due to the fact that the scent of the person perched on the elevated platform is aobve the level of the wildlife foraging on the ground.
Support platforms, commonly referred to as tree stand or deer stands, are well known (see for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,844, issued in the name of Hice, or U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,645, issued in the name of Untz). Typically, these platforms are secured to a tree or the like by a band encircling the tree. It is important that the platform be stable when secured to the tree, provide the user with a high degree of security, and prevent substantial permanent damage to the tree. However, conventional tree stands available today are heavy and bulky, making their transport to the observation site (often deep in the woods) difficult. Moreoever, the are difficult to assemble and time consuming to erect, often requiring the user to have special tools normally not otherwise necessary for wildlife observation. Even after assembly and erection of the known tree stands, the platforms thereof do not always provide the necessary sturdiness, stability, and security required to enable the sportsman or naturalist to safely remain in the elevated perch location.